Under Construction

Silent this week while I work on the websites. Codes should be fixed on the blog now, yay! Let me know if you're still having trouble. Feedback on the current main site would also be appreciated as I buckle down and work on a html version. Let me know what you like and don't like, please!

http://www.ivyfrozen.com/

Figuring out her codes,

Ivy Frozen

P.S. Wearing:

metamorphose top and skirt

baby the stars shine bright shoes

and clairs socks

Returning this Fall

I'm excited to announce my return this fall. I'm working on a lot of cool things for you guys. Keep an eye out for a site redesign and new clothes starting in September. In the mean time, I'll reopen for comissions and a sample sale next week and maybe a few new items will sneak in. ;) I'm resuming posting this week, and hopefully I'll get you all as excited for the official reopening in September as I am! Check back each day this week for more teasers and actual info, as well as one of my giant image posts filled with things I've sewn and the usual sort of stuff I post.

Glad to be Back,

Ivy Frozen

P.S. Like my facebook page!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm going through a tough time right now, but thanks everyone for your kind comments and other actions (I really do appreciate them!), and I hope to respond to them all soon. They mean a lot to me, especially while I'm at the bottom of the wheel*. I'm also hoping to return to blogging and my other internet activities soon! Click the Read More! link to see the outfit details and explantion of the "wheel" reference.

Big wheel keep on turning,

Ivy Frozen

My Valentine's day dress made last year and just properly photo-ed this year.



Dress- me made
shoes- wanted
blouse- jc penny
hair bows- hot topic
socks- robyn marie's shoe closet

*bottom of the wheel-- Life is cyclical, sometimes you're up (at the top of the wheel) and sometimes you're down (at the bottom of the wheel) or at any of the points in between. I believe that I'll always return to the top eventually.

Back with a Boom?

I wanted to be back with a boom, with lots of nice awesome pictures of new stuff. I have a new photographer that I'm going to work with this friday, to see if I can get some better pictures for you. In the meantime, it seems silly to wait another week to resume posting just for that. Click Read More! to continue this.


My goal for re-opening my etsy and filling it with new things is June 20th, for the start of summer. In the meantime, I'm working on finishing old projects. Hopefully, I can find some time to write out those tutorials. In the meantime,

Check out my New Site: http://www.ivyfrozen.com/

I also joined Model Mayhem: http://www.modelmayhem.com/ivyfrozen

& I'm working on a facebook page.

There'll be a real post tommorrow,

Ivy Frozen

Really Back Soon

Remember when I said I'd be back soon? By soon, I meant after I graduate (or just walk in the ceremony) on the 22nd of this month. In the meantime, I'll probably update the layout and I should have lot's of goodies for you all!

Stay tuned,

Ivy Frozen

Test Post

This is a test post. Look for more from me soon!

Coming back soon,
Ivy Frozen

LBD Contest--Ended; Winner Announced 10/31

Yay! It's here! Win a little black dress made by me. But since it is made by me, you know there has to be some twist to it, not just an ordinary LBD. Click the Read More Link! to find out more about it and how to win it.

As I mentioned before, black is a tough color for me since it's a very pedestrian color. When I design my clothes, I want stuff that you can't find in stores. Pretty much any woman's clothing store has a LBD. Plus, I'm terribly girly and romantic. Black is the color of mourning. And, it's a safe color. And I associate it with Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel, figures I associate with the boring "chic look", that makes fashion work instead of fun.

But, I decided all that isn't necessarily bad stuff. Black is a safe color, which is what makes it so versatyle. When I design clothes, I also consider that. I want my clothes to be able to have lots of wear. Plus, I can't say that I wouldn't like to channel an Audrey look or two, and Uncle Karl put out those awesome thigh high boots a few seasons ago.

So, without further ado, I present my vision of little black dress.

But, it's not actually a dress...

It's a skirt.

With inseam pockets.

Good size pockets.

A skirt holds its shape well even with something relatively heavy in its pockets.

And, it's a top.

A fairly plain top.

But, it takes decoration well.

And the zipper opens all the way, like a jacket.

It's made out of cotton, so it's a great base for diy, if you'd like to add your own permanent decorations. I left the neckline plain so blouses could be layered beneath or you could use a vintage collar. And you can always mix and match the top and bottom to your delight.

So, how do you win it?

I'm a curious little thing so, Show me how you'd wear it. An image is required. You could use polyvore or any image editing program. Send me the image (or a link) and I'll post them up on the blog in the order they're received. I've included some quickly photoshopped images for you to use. You can use the top, skirt, or both. You may use any of my images of them and photoshop them to illustrate who you'd wear it. You can also use none of my images and draw something to illustrate it. Whatever. Just show me how you would wear it. A short text elaboration on your entry is encouraged, but keep it short and to the point.

In two weeks, October 28th, I'll use google to find an online random number picker to select a winner. The folks who entered the FAILED contest will be entered in this draw as well if they comment again, since I can't find an e-mail for most of you. Just let me know you entered before for a bonus entry. Everyone else only gets one entry, so make it good.

But wait! There's more!

If there are a lot of entries, I will give away a second LBD to the set I like the best. Or even if there aren't a lot of entries, I may award a set I find outstanding. In other words, I reserve the right to add more prizes if I feel like it. So it's a good idea to spread the word about this little contest. It's also a good idea to do a good job on your entry.

When I receive the first entry, I'll start a post that will be updated with each entry as I receive it, so you'll know I got your entry and what your number is. I'll also try to reply to your e-mails.

More Details...

The set will be custom made to fit your measurements. I will ship internationally, though you're responsible for any customs fees etc. I'm not adverse to certain customization options. If you win and would like something in the set changed, ask. It may cost extra or it may not.

Post questions or comments about the contest on this blog entry, and check it for replies. Similarly, if you have a question, check the comments to see if it was answered. That way, I won't have to answer the same question many times.

At the end of the contest, I'll post the set up in my shop so you can buy it if you love it.

So what you waiting for? Enter Now!

Handmade by me with love, care, and possibly a swear,

Ivy Frozen

ivyfrozen@att.net

FAIL

About that giveaway... I lost contact with Chick Downtown, the folks giving it away. As such, I feel horrible. Hence, the huge vacation. Well, that and I tend to get caught up in my sewing. But I miss blogging.

Fear not! I do intend to make good on the giveaway. I will giveaway a custom made dress by me. Since the contest was about a little black dress, I'm going to giveaway my take on it. As I avoid black in ready to wear dresses, I also am uninspired by it for the dresses I make. It took me a while, but I think I have created something that will appeal to a great many of you as it appeals to me. It's everything a LBD should be. It's cut out, and ready to be assembled after I finish some orders. Since it is a change in plans, I am going to open the contest again for a week or so. I will ship internationally, so non-US readers will be able to enter. Everyone who entered before will automatically be entered. I'll do my best to contact you all and make sure you care for the new dress before entering you.

So be on the lookout for that in the next week or so. Give you guys early warning so you won't miss it, having given me up for dead. And hopefully I'll make my return to blogging.

I hope you all will forgive me,
Ivy Frozen

Loli-con

So it seems the lolitas are winning me over a bit. I mentioned the lolita's before, and how I felt their style was akin to mine while not being mine. But after making a more tuned down lolita dress for a friend of mine, I find myself wanting to add lolita details to my own dresses. While I'm inspired by the full on Japanese Lolita looks, I find myself wanting to try a sweet American Lolita look. American lolita, true to American sportswear, is simpler. More minimalistic, but still really cute. Many of the staples of lolita are things I already wear: bell shaped skirt, bloomers, sweet headwear. Why not try a whole lolita look? I haven't made the jump yet, but Lolita and the Victorian Era have definately been on my mind. Click the Read More! link to take a look at how that inspiration has translated and to see me slowly creeping closer. And check back tomorrow for a give away and diy tips for when you screw up.



The Loli's are COMING!

In the night,



the loli's stalk...



N i g h t m a r e C r e a t u r e s



With black holes



for Hearts.



Cutesy bows,



Glowing red eyes



Feasting on BUMS who sleep in the park



The Loli's are coming



so be Aware



The loli's are coming



touch one



if you dare



The Loli's are coming



you can't turn the tide



The Loli's are coming!



There's nowhere to hide.



I made all the dresses I'm wearing as well as the above dress my blond friend is wearing. The pictures of her in that dress are hers from Fanime.

Lolita Lovin',

Ivy Frozen

Merry Christmas All!

I hopped in my time machine to wish you all a Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you kids are celebrating now. As a present to you all, I present a couple of terrible photos illustrating how I have trouble posing with other people. Click the Read More! link to view them and see me use my time machine even more.

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My sister and I dressed up in our Christmas dresses. My patented smile.


If you care, I'm wearing vintage dresses I altered in the two current photos of me. The green one had a hole in the back, so I had to cut it shorter than I would have liked. I'll have to see if I can find some matching-enough trim to go around that hem.

Anywho, I hope you're enjoying your holidays. I just had my wisdom teeth out, so now I have plenty of time to sleep and update my various pages in between staring at the phone and demanding that it ring. And longing for Jamba juice. It was promised to me. Bananaberry.

Suffering from a major case of the magnet effect,

Ivy Frozen

Vanitas

Do you believe in magic?

In a young girl's heart?

how the music can free her...

Whenever It Starts

and it's MAGIC

if the Music is Groovy

it makes you feel Happy like an old time Movie

I'll tell you 'bout the magic

It'll free your soul

But it's like trying to tell a stranger

about Rock and Roll...

These are two outfits that were ispired by previous outfits of mine that used some of the same pieces. This is one reason I like taking pictures of my outfits. When I'm having diffuculty with wearing a piece or I don't know what to wear one day, I can click through my old outfits and be inspired anew. It's especially usefull for the pieces you find more difficult to wear in your wardrobe.

These photos also act as a visual diary. I use them to recall details such as where I was at what date, what I did, how I was feeling, what day I mailed that, ect. I can analyze my outfits like I can a story or novel and get quite a bit of information back from them that has proved useful on several occasions. I'm not the type of person to be able to keep up a written diary. Stating the obvious to me eveyday just doesn't hold my interest; I've never been good at small talk. But a picture diary, so much packed into such a little thing, that I can do. It's different and engages me satisfactorily.

Vain is it? An interest in myself? I've noticed bloggers and people dropping out of groups like W_R because they get self-conscious and feel like they're being vain. There are those who don't even get started because they can't get over such feelings. And of course there are always those who who point their finger at those of us that do and proclaim us vain and narcissistic, despite numerous evidence supporting otherwise. It's just like the song I quoted above. Trying to explain everything that's behind these pictures is somewhat useless to someone who doesn't understand what it is. These pictures aren't "look upon my hotness/beauty/vast superiority and revel." It's about sharing, not pride or vanity. Sharing what I wore today. Sharing and accepting my curvy thighs and that they don't make me some freakish mutant who should be thrown off a cliff for not starving/medicating/carving/excessively exercising them down to half their size as fashion magazines suggest. And of course, having others share such things back with me. So we get ideas, a community, and friendship. For some, it might be about "look upon my hotness and weap for you shall never achieve it." But for the majority, it's sharing, being part of the community. Sure, it feel snice to get complements. Of course, a vain, narcissistic person would not value those complements...

Go out. Take photos of yourself and post them on the web in appropriate places. There will always be those people who just don't understand and will write the practice off as vain while simultaneously at least intimating that they are better than us, which is incidently kinda vain itself. To that, Ivy says you know why you do it and you know you're not vain. And if you were vain, than vain can't possibly be such a terrible thing to be-- don't you think?-- considering you know some pretty awesome vain people including yourself. Be vain. Be not vain. Take pictures of yourself and post them on the web. (Please no bad porn though!) Or don't. Do what's right for you!

I believe in magic, do you?

Ivy Frozen

P.S. Like my new floor? Never know that it's vinyl. And now that the floor is finally in, I can return to my sewing and hopefully actually progress. Look for the promised dress most likely this weekend to next week. & that tutorial and maybe some mini one's too.